Free-play control circuit for amusement games



Aug. 2?, 1949 L. A. DURANT FREE-PLAY CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR AMUSEMENT GAMES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 7, 1948 40 mg m m m W w J 3 m WWW J a Aug. 23, 1949. Q L. A. DURANT 2,479,707

FREE-PLAY CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR AMUSEMENT GAMES Filed May 7, .1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Free-P/qg IN VEN TOR.

Lynda); 17. Durant BY f 2 9} Patented Aug. 23, 1949 FREE-PLAY CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR AMUSEMENT GAMES Lyndon A. Durant, Chicago, 111., assignor to Royal Patent Corporation Application Mar 7. 194s, Serial No, 25,744

1 Claim. (Cl. 2'73--1 21) This invention relates to a free play control circuit for amusement game and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide in an amusement apparatus an electromagnetic ball-blocking means controlled either by a coincontrolled switch or by a circuit in which there is a hand-operated push button whereby th game apparatus may be initially conditioned by the operation of the coin-controlled switch and thereafter conditioned for replay under certain conditions by the mere operation of a hand-operated push button.

Other objects will appear hereinai-ter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an amusement game apparatus in which my invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line -2-.-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the ball-blocking means with parts thereof in extended relation with respect to each other;

Pie 4 is i c tsrr ctiona detail view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts thereof in different positions; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the electric circuit embodied in the invention.

The drawings illustrate the preferred iorm of construction by which the several objects of my invention are accomplished.

The amusement game apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, except as hereinafter pointed .0 11 is of the on n ona type- It inc udes cabinet In having an inclined pla board 11 down which balls. projected by a projector 12 to the upper end of the board, are adapted t gravitate. This amuse.- ment game appa atus f rther includes a ball out-v :1 Docket in wh ch. spe t ha s a e confine until released by movement in a conventional manner of a ball releasing bar 14. This bar 14 constitutes no part ,of the present invention and is of a well-known and conventional type.

Balls from the ball outlet 1 3 d opv onto va track I5 which guides the gravltating roiling balls to an elevating means not shown). This el'cYating means raises the balls (from the track .15 throu the projector l2. From this position the balls are projected through the runway Hi to the upper end portion of the board I I from whence the balls are adapted to gravitate downwardly toward the lower end of the board into the outlet opening 53.

In the conventional amusement game apparatus there is mounted upon this board ll one or more target switches hereinafter identified as 72 and 76. These switches control an electric score registering circuit of a well-known type and now commor iy in use. This circuit constitutes no part of the present invention and is therefore not illustrated.

To carry my invention into effect I provide a ball blocking device indicated generally at Hi.

This blocking device more fully disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 25,743, includes a bracket 20 secured to the underside of the board II as at 2|. This bracket 28 carries an electromagnetic coil 22, the bore of which is disposed in alignment with an opening 23 formed in the board.

A U-shaped yoke is indicated at 24 and. includes a finger 25 and an arm portion 26. The arm portion 26 extends through the opening 23 into the bore 21 of the coil 23 and is connected to a solcan opening 46 to a position "indicated at II before 15 noid plunger 28. The yoke is formed of nonmagnetically attractable material, while the plunger 28 is formed of the usual magnetically attractable material.

The finger 25 extends through an opening 29 formed in the board I l in spaced parallel relation with the opening 23. The lower end portion 3.0 of this finger 25 projects into a position wi h respect to the track [5 where balls 3! will be blocked from rolling down this track I5 to a position to be elevated through the opening 16 onto the runwa l8.

The plunger 28 normally rests upon a spring leaf 32 of a switch unit 33. This switch unit 33 is carried by a bracket 34 secured to the underside of the board II as at 35 by means of wood screws or the like.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a circuit control for the ball-blocking device I9. I

In this connection a power unit comprising a transformer is indicated at 35. 7 side '3"! of this transformer has connection with the main conductors 38, and 38.

In this circuit is a relay switch 39, one ,side v l!) of which is connected by a conductor .41 to the main conductor 38. The other side of this relay switch is connected by a conductor .41 to one de i t e game cond ionin i cuit 42. The other side of the same conditioning circuit 42 The secondary aware? is connected by a conductor 43 to the main conductor 38. This game conditioning circuit is o! a well-known construction and includes a free play step-up unit 44. The relay switch 39 is controlled by the electromagnetic coil 45. One side of this coil 45 is connected by conductor 46' to one of the switch contacts 46 of the switch unit 33. The other side of this coil 45 has connection with one side 41 of a switch 48 by means of a conductor 49. unit 33 is connected by a conductor 49' to the main conductor 38. The other side 50 of the switch 48 is connected to the conductor 38' by a conductor The switch 48 is adapted to be controlled by a coin slide 52 which includes a slide bar 53. When a proper coin is inserted in the coin slide 52, the slide bar 53 is released for movement to close the switch 48. Closing of this witch 48 will complete a circuit to the coil 45 through the conductors 5!, 49, 48' and 49'. When this coil 45 is energized, the switch 39 is closed to complete the circuit to the game conditioning circuit 42, whereby the game is conditioned for play.

A relay switch is indicated at 54. One side 55 of this switch 54 is connected by a conductor 56 to a switch contact 5'! of the switch unit 33. The other side 58 of the switch 54 is connected by conductor 59 to the conductor 38. The conductor 56 is connected to one side of the coil 22 by conductor 69. The other side of this coil 22 is connected by conductor 6| to one side 62 of a relay switch 63. The other side of this switch 63 is connected by conductor 64 to the conductor 38. The switch 54 is controlled by a magnetic coil 65. One side of this coil 65 is connected by the conductor ES to the conductor 38. The other side of this coil 65 is connected by the conductor 61 The spring leaf 32 of the switchto the conductor 49 between the coil and the side 4'! of the switch 48.

The switch 53 is controlled by the electromag netic coil 58. One side of this coil is connected by conductor 59 to the conductor 38. The other side is connected to a switch contact I0 of a ballactuated switch 12 by conductor H. The other side of this ball-actuated switch 12 is connected by conductor '13 to the conductor 38'. This ballactuated switch is constructed and operates substantially the same as that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,184,868.

The conductor H has connection by a branch conductor 14 to one side 15 of a ball roll-over switch 76. The other side of this switch 16 is connected by conductor 11 to conductor 38'. This roll-over switch is of a well-known type and may be of the structure shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,212,097.

An anti-tilt switch is indicated at 18.

88 to the conductor 'H'. The other side of this switch is connected by conductor 8| to the conductor 38.

The arrangement is such that upon energize.- tion of the electromagnetic coil 45, the coil 65 will be simultaneously energized therewith, the latter to close the switch 54, whereupon a circuit will be set up to energize the coil 22. Upon energization of this coil 22, the ball-blocking yoke 24 will be elevated to move the finger 25 from ballblocking position, permitting the balls 3| to roll down the track [5. This movement of the yoke 24 will break contact between the switch contacts 32 and 45 and make contact between the switch contacts 32 and 51, thereby connecting the coil 22 directly in circuit with the conductors 38 One side E9 of this switch is connected by conductor 4 and as through conductors 49', 60, 6| and 51. While thus in circuit, the coil 22 will effectively hold the yoke 24 from ball-blocking position.

As soon as either of the switches 12 or 16 is closed by action of a ball rollin down the board ll (of which switches there may be and generally are several mounted on the playboard I I), the coil 68. will. become energized to open the switch 63, thereupon to deenergize the coil 22, permitting the yoke '24 to drop into ball-blocking position and again bringing into contact the switch contacts 32 and 46. The yoke 24 remains in this position until the switch 48 is again closed by the slide 53 whereupon the foregoing opera- .tion is repeated.

As heretofore pointed out, the game conditioning circuit includes a free-play step-u unit 44, which includes the ratchet 82. This free-play unit is of a well-known construction, and for further information as to its operation reference may be had'to U. S. Patent No. 2,281,262. This ratchet wheel 82 carries a pin 83 which, when the game apparatus is not conditioned for a freeplay, engages one side 84 of a switch 85 to hold the switch in open position. This side 84 of the switch 85 is connected by conductor 86 to the conductor 38. The other side of this switch 85 is connected by conductor 8! to one side 88 of a push button switch 89. The other side of this push button switch 89 is connected by conductor 98 to the conductor 49 between the coil 45 and the side 41 of the switch 48.

When the game apparatus is conditioned for a free play in a manner well-known in the art, the ratchet wheel 82 will be moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, thus moving the pin 83 from engagement with the side 84 of the switch 85, permitting the switch 85 to be closed. A circuit will then be set up so that the coil 45 may be energized by merely closing the push button switch 89. In other words, when this condition exists, the game may be conditioned for a free play without employment of a coin and without the necessity of operating the coin slide 53.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have provided in an amusement. game apparatus a circuit for controlling the conditioning of the apparatus for play, first, by the operation of a coin slide and thereafter, under certain conditions, by the operation of a hand-operated push button. It will be understood that these certain conditions will be effective only whenever the game apparatus is conditioned for giving a free play, which is accomplished in a manner well-known in the art by the player obtaining a certain score.

In the event that the game apparatus is tilted, the anti-tilt switch 78 will be closed, thereby to energize the coil 68 and to deenergize the coil 22 by the opening of the switch 63. This deenergization of the coil 22 permits the ball-blocking member 24 to automatically drop into ball-blocking position and to condition the game apparatus for further play only upon another operation of either the coin slide. switch 48 or push button switch 89.

While I have illustrated and described the pre-- limited to the precise details ofconstruction set.

forth but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A game apparatus having a surface over which balls are adapted to roll comprising a game apparatus conditioning circuit which upon completion is adapted to condition the game apparatus for play, a normally open switch and an actuating coil therefor for completing the circuit, a ball blocking device for balls rolling over said surface and an actuating coil therefor, said device normally blocking movement of a ball, a normally open switch and a coil therefor to energize the coil of said blocking device, a normally closed switch and an actuating coil therefor for completing a circuit between said blocking device coil and a power source, said normally closed switch being in series circuit with the normally open switch and adapted when opened by its actuating coil to deenergize the blockin device coil, ballactuated hazard switch means adapted to be engaged and actuated by balls rolling over said surface for energizing the coil of said normally [closed switch to deenergize the blocking device coil, a coin-controlled circuit for simultaneously energizing said first-mentioned actuating coil and the coil of said last-mentioned normally open switch for simultaneously energizing said conditioning circuit and the blocking device coil for the playing of the game, a push button switch controlled circuit for simultaneously energizing said first-mentioned coil and the coil of said last-mentioned normally open switch independently of the coincontrolled circuit, free-play means in said game conditioning circuit, a normally open switch in said push button circuit adapted when closed to condition said push button circuit for subsequent completion by operation of the push button switch, and means responsive to the operation of said free play means for closing said normally open switch of said push button circuit.

LYNDON A. DURANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,080,231 Rockola May 11, 1937 2,127,261 Kramer et al Aug. 16, 1938 2,134,185 Hansen Oct. 25, 1938 2,296,548 Williams et al. Sept. 22, 1942 

